The ancestors of the bearers of the Colbone family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-SaxonEngland. They were first found in Colburn, a village and civil parish near Catterick in the North Riding of Yorkshire. It is from the place-name that the family name is derived.

Early Origins of the Colbone family

The surname Colbone was first found in Yorkshire where one of the first of the name on record was Geoffrey Colburn in 1208 who held estates in the North Riding of Yorkshire in the parish of Catterick, but historians conjecturally relate the name to Colbrand, a name which appeared in the Domesday Book in the county of Devon.

Early History of the Colbone family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Colbone research.Another 127 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1370, 1386, 1693, 1622, 1701 and 1701 are included under the topic Early Colbone History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Colbone Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Colbone include Colburn, Colburne, Colborne, Colbourne, Coulbourne, Colbourn, Cullburn, Colborn, Colbryn, Coulbryne, Culbourne, Cullburne and many more.

Early Notables of the Colbone family (pre 1700)

Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Colbone Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Colbone family to the New World and Oceana

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Colbone or a variant listed above: William Colburn of Boston who came in Winthrop's fleet in 1630. He was elected Deacon and ruling elder of the Colony's Church. John Colburn of Dedham, Massachusetts, settled in 1640 and had five sons.